Food was solid! Very flavorful and didn't have a single bad dish. Service was probably one of the worst I have ever experienced. Our server was late, never checked up on us, and we got our food before our drinks. We had to request to get checked out because our server never came back. While paying, the person checking us out didn't say there was an 18% charge already included for tip until after we had clicked our selection to tip them. Place is cute, very spacious. Tl;dr, Service was not good, but food was decent. read more

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We ate at this place as part of restaurant week - a place we have driven by scores of times but didn't really see it. This is why restaurant week can be a plus for the restaurant because we will return. We went with friends for Sunday lunch. It wasn't too busy. The service was fast and friendly. Two tried the empanadas one beef and one Hawaiian. Both were good. The others tried the fried plantains with guac on the restaurant week menu. Very good. Three got the roasted quarter of a chicken which had a unique spice and was a hit. I got the pork which was very thin and a bit dry. The green sauce helped. The Tres Leche cake was excellent as was the thin waffle and jam dessert - very unique and tasty. The regular menu is huge. We will return. read more

Without a doubt, out of the 25 states I've visited across the United States, this restaurant has the best atmosphere and ambiance that truly captures the spirit of Colombia. Every detail on the walls, in the décor, and throughout the space reflects the cultural richness and folklore of our country. It was, without question, an emotional experience filled with wonderful memories. Tasting a liver with onions that instantly took me back to the Colombian Caribbean was unforgettable. The lulo, passion fruit, and mango juices were spectacular. The garlic-flavored rice, the lentils cooked to perfection, and the grandmother-style salad... in short, the food was simply outstanding. The service provided by Emily (Ecuador), Juan (Bucaramanga) , and María José (Bogotá) was a perfect 10 out of 10. I don't regret for a second having driven all the way from Chicago to Milwaukee (3 hours) just to visit this restaurant. I would return one hundred times over; especially because here you can truly feel the flavor, the energy, and the heart of Colombia all in one place. read more

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Food was a bit expensive for what they offer. The service was good except I was rushed to order. The restaurant looks nice inside but we had a seat in the back of the other side of the restaurant so we felt very distant from other people. Not sure if I would go back it's just not my preference. read more

The food and atmosphere was decent not an experience or new flavor to contend with vs a backyard offering so not $100 decent. Get this, the entrees themselves were $32.99 and $28.99 for steak and fried seafood. Not really an issue. Ordered appetizers, empanadas, x2 = $7.50 definitely not an issue, they were very tiny though lol. Here is where things get dicey. For drinks we asked for waters, I asked for sparkling water, I was not informed it would be a surcharge, my experience servers usually say there will be one or ask is the bar tap ok. Then when the bill comes, I noticed there was surcharge for the water and get this, a default 18% gratuity. I did not see signage or a note on the menu. Because there was none. Nor did the server point out or direct us to any signage or note anywhere else no matter how inconspicuous. Then there was an additional 2% service charge plus the tax, surprisingly given how dicey it was the tax was correctly applied. The food was decent, the hidden charges and not being allowed to choose gratuity were not ok. The guy asking us if we like our food must've felt entitled since he asked if we were enjoying our meal? So a $100 bill for food that does not hold a candle to the quality and offering of other places in Madison when dining for 2 for the same price. So if there is a special maybe? Beware of the dicey servers? As to this place I would not recommend as a date spot, plus for two average sized humans the booths were awkwardly designed to not have enough space. read more

La Pollera Colombiana - Seafood platter and steak dinner. - Colombian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The cooks are amazing and the food tastes good. The big problem is that the terrible customer service overshadows that. Waiters and waitresses try to discourage changes due to allergies, like they aren't concerned with people's safety. They constantly blame the higher ups and the kitchen, but when they actually ask the people creating the food they seem to be okay. I have some pretty severe food allergies and I just wanted to replace one side for another that they also carry. They were so rude. This has happened multiple times. I try to give them chances because the food tastes so good, but I cannot justify how rude and nasty they are to customers. I'm not sure if this is a race issue since I am a dark-skinned Black person, but they're also rude to my lighter skin South Asian partner. I once got an order for pickup and just needed to use a counter to organize things. I had at least three employees come and tell me that that wouldn't be possible, even though the food I was organizing I just bought from them and left a tip. It makes you feel super bad to patronize a place that is not respectful in any way, shape or form. If you have a choice, please don't go here, unless you're strictly picking up the food. The restaurant looks nice, the food taste nice, but the staff is mean and nasty. I wish this was just from one experience with them, but because they are a POC establishment I gave them multiple chances. Every time we eat there the staff is rude and nasty. I have never experienced such mean waiters and waitresses in my entire life. read more

Food and ambiance was good. Service could be better. We ordered lunch specials, but were charged dinner prices. read more

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Wow. This is a hidden gem in Madison and I cannot recommend La Pollera enough. We celebrated a graduation here last week and they accommodated our party of 12 people, which itself was amazing. The food was divine -- truly fresh and bright flavors, authentic Colombian cuisine, and something for everyone, even your picky eaters. We started with empanadas, then had the bowl with sausage, steak, chicken, plantains, the chorizo -- oh my goodness outstanding everything. The margaritas and mojitos were also outstanding, I recommend the mango for the sweet fans out there. I will absolutely come back here again. They have great decor, photo worthy neon signs, colorful decorations everywhere. The servers are lovely and the food comes out fast. Absolutely eat here! read more

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Delicious food, and beautiful staff. Had been wanting to try this place, and finally got here. Make the trip, you won't be disappointed.

I ordered two Empanada Pollos--honestly, the BEST empanadas I've had in the city. Crispy, flavorful, and just perfect. For the main dish, I had the Filete a la Criolla: a fish fillet topped with shrimp in a rich creole sauce, served with rice, crispy sweet plantains, and salad. The fish was super moist, the shrimp juicy, and the sauce was amazing. For dessert, I had the peanut butter mousse. Layers of chocolate and peanut butter heaven! It was so moist and delicious, I'm still thinking about it. The ambiance was beautiful I felt like I was in Colombia! Amazing food, impeccable service--I'll definitely be back! read more

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Very very cute place with a large menu of Columbian comfort food. The waitstaff were friendly and the food came out very quickly after ordered. We had the chicken empanada (yummy) and the Hawaiian empanada to start (delicious and unique!) For the entree, we had the chicken with mushroom sauce which was comforting and creamy. It came with fries and rice, so it was a good plate to share. For dessert we had the coconut flan, which was EXCELLENT, it was the best part of our meal. I would come back here to try other entrees. read more

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Really fabulous chicken empanadas! Loved the Aguacate sauce & spicy green salsa! We shared a 1/2 roasted chicken & it was perfectly done, juicy & delicious. Service was excellent & the place was clean and very festive. Loved the mural of famous Columbians! read more

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I was there on a week end for lunch. There was a good number of people, but I got a seat. Waiters were all very professional. Empanadas was my favorite item here. I went for a beef and a chicken empanada. Both were excellent. I like beef slightly more. Bistec a la criolla was a flavorful entree. Arroz con pollo was my other entree. It was good as well. Fries were fried really crisp, which was very nice. read more

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The service was amazing, came and asked if I needed anything. Clean . Fast The food is so filling and flavorful! read more

La Pollera Colombiana - Bistec Encebollado - Colombian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We had such a great experience at La Pollera Colombiana! The food is delicious, seasoned to perfection and cooked just right ! The empanadas are a MUST! Also their alcoholic beverages are SOOOO GOOOD. The passion fruit mojito is one of my favorites! Can't wait to be back, everyone was so nice and helpful! Great family environment. IG: @Lapolleracolombiana read more

This location used to have an excellent Indian Restaurant, so glad to see an even better restaurant take its spot. The servers are friendly, the music is lively. The food is so delicious. I had the Filete a la Crillo. It was a tender fish fillet topped with shrimp and an amazing creole sauce. Served with a side of rice and plantains. The serving size was generous. I liked it so much that I tried to visit the following evening, but they were redoing the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. I will be back! read more

La Pollera Colombiana - Triple Chocolate Cake - Colombian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We went the last day of restaurant week. The food was excellent and staff were friendly and polite. We had the steak with onions, the creole steak and the fish. Very nice decor and ambience. The restaurant was not super busy but the service was wanting. We got the main entree before the appetizers and we got billed wrong. Pretty sure it was a genuine mistake and we didn't catch it we were half way home. The drinks were too pricey. But a great place to try Colombian food, read more

Every time I am here, it makes me want to move to the east side to be closer. The food is so delicious and made to order (fresh). Breakfast (Desayuno) is served all day. They are updating their menu soon to add "Classic American" dishes like omelettes (CA items only on weekends). Tried a couple of new dishes and it was actually really good, especially the spinach (Popeye) omelette. My friends and I also ordered the Calentado la Colombiana Carne. Steak was soooo tender. Y'all have to come through. So freaking delicious and great customer service! read more

I have been so excited to check out La Pollera since I first heard about it opening in the old Om location on E Wash! Immediately upon walking in for a late lunch, the smell of delicious grilled food wafted out from the kitchen. Lively music was playing and the place was busy! Being a Miami transplant to Madison, it felt like home. We've missed having a plethora of Latin American restaurants. My husband and I shared the pechuga al grill (grilled chicken breast) and a couple empanadas to start. We loved the cheese empanada and thought the Hawaiian one was good too. They didn't have beef or chicken empanadas for some reason, but it was ok! The grilled chicken was amazing, tasty and perfectly cooked. The rice and beans and fries were delicious as well. We were given a couple sauces on the side and I enjoyed the green sauce a lot. We practiced our Spanish for ordering our food and chatting with the server and eventually switched to English. We learned that the family who established the restaurant have been thinking of doing so for a while - I'm so glad they did. We left happy and planning our next meal at La Pollera. read more

I went here for the first time & will definitely be returning. My husband is already planning out when we should go back with my parents and what he'll get when we do . It is a cool atmosphere & has authentic Colombian food & drinks. The drinks will make you feel like you're at an all inclusive resort with so many fun options. The food is all so fresh tasting & most meals come with a delicious side salad, green plantains made one of two ways, & rice. The meals are well worth the price & taste fresh with nice herbs & veggies added. Everything was flavored well & nothing was spicy. The table also had a bottle of an herby Colombian sauce that was delicious on the plantains or on our dishes. Our waiter was Colombian & took pride in the dishes & did a great job answering our questions/telling us about his culture. I had an authentic dish called, filete a la criolla which was a nice big bass filet with jumbo deliciously cooked shrimp on top covered in the criolla sauce. It was delicious & I highly recommend it! My husband loved his arroz a la marinera which had lots of delicious seafood that was all cooked well. Our friends got different proteins & both loved their meals as well. The restaurant was handicap accessible & had comfortable booths to sit on. The service was excellent; informative, checked in often, & the food & drinks were brought quickly. We saw they do a popular breakfast/brunch which we're curious to try in the future, too! Definitely check this place out! read more

La Pollera Columbiana is an absolute gem! They've been open a little over a year now, and they've proven to be a fantastic addition to the Madison food scene. The restaurant is spacious yet cozy, with lots of Columbian-themed decorations. The service is always friendly and attentive. We went to try out their new breakfast menu, which offers North American style breakfast dishes on the weekends (in addition to their Columbian breakfast dishes, which are offered all week long). The Breakfast La Columbiana features pancakes, bacon, and two eggs (cooked to order). The pancakes were astonishingly good. You know how the best part of a pancake is the crispy bit around the edges? They somehow made an entire side of the pancake crispy, while maintaining a light and fluffy interior. Honestly, they are the best pancakes I've had in Madison. The Popeye Omelette was also excellent, filled with finely chopped spinach and cheese, and served with bacon, buttered toast, and their home fries (which are fried potatoes with onions and peppers). We couldn't resist ordering something off their Columbian menu, though, so we tried the Calentado la Columbiana. The other dishes were excellent, but this one really blew us away. It is a big plate with steak, beans and rice with chicharrones, sweet plantains, and a corn cake (like a thin arepa topped with melted cheese). The crunchy bits of chicharrones really added to the beans and rice, but the steak was the star of the show. It was super tender - you could easily cut it with your fork - and perfectly seasoned. One of the beast steaks I've had in Madison! Also be sure to try some of the salsa tartara, which you can find a bottle of on every table. It's creamy and garlicky, and only very slightly spicy (Columbian cuisine doesn't generally go for lots of spiciness). For dessert, we tried the Gelatina, which has a fantastic texture - sort of half way between mochi and a marshmallow - and the Obleas (two crispy wafers sandwiching a filling of caramel, cheese and raspberry). I can't recommend La Pollera Columbiana enough. If you go for breakfast, their North American style dishes are excellent, but don't neglect the Columbian breakfast dishes on the main menu - they will amaze you! read more

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Great delicious food and great friendly service. Unfortunately, they charge extra for using a credit card, which I hate when I see it added to the bill, especially without warning. And, although I would have tipped, I do not like automatic tips - also without warning - even, as the receipt says - "For parties of 1 or larger...." In other words, everyone! read more

Great food, service, and ambiance on a busy Saturday night. Server answered all my questions. Will be back.

Great atmosphere! Don't let location or exterior fool you! The food is fresh, great, authentic. Not a gringo ripoff/ copycat. Good prices, nice staff. read more

The food amazing a little bit pricey but really good. Pay attention they already include the tip if you don't pay attention like me you would pay tip twice. But really good food. And drinks. read more

Disappointed. & feel very ripped off. My boyfriend & I visited this place in hope of finding a little bit of Colombia here in Madison, WI. We love visiting new food spots. The restaurant itself is very nice looking in the inside. Food was alright. We ordered: 3 empanadas, Arroz con pollo, Carne Empanizada, Colombian beer & a mojito. Unfortunately we were disappointed by their pricing. We had calculated for it to be around $60-80ish tops. Well let me say it came out to $97.84 because of an 18% gratuity tip ALREADY included. I will say that at NO time PRIOR to ordering was that 18% gratuity mentioned. The menu also states "For parties of 4 or more", and it was only my boyfriend and I. The waiter mentioned the included gratuity until the END when she gave us the bill and even asked if we wanted to tip more like ???? We never mind tipping for service but not when it's done in a slick way. She also didn't even check up on us not even once during our meal. Before we left there was another man sitting behind us, and we overheard him saying that he expected more when given his bill. I am guessing he was referring to the same thing. I don't think we will be coming back or would recommend to someone else.. read more

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La Pollera Colombiana is a hidden gem! The food is very flavorful and delicious the server serving us that day was super friendly, he had a good singing voice too! We loved the empanadas, but the plantains with chicharron and guacamole was the star of the show. We can't wait to come back. read more

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Just fantastic. Service was friendly, food came out quickly. The place is decorated nicely and very welcoming. The food was served on really nice looking functional pottery dishes But most important is that the food is delicious. The only downside is there is no separate lunch menu, but the item I ordered for lunch was large enough that what I took home ended up being dinner. They also have breakfast items on the menu. read more

le falta sabor a la cómoda ordené un ceviche de mango u estaba dulce, en vez de tener fruta real tenía syrup de mango. no recomendado. pésimo servicio read more

This place was more like a 3.5/5 for me. Living in Texas and traveling to Central America, LA and FL have contributed this rating to this place. The only thing we love from this place was the mini picada. All the meats cooked perfectly and good. We felt the arroz con pollo was a bit underwhelmed. The seafood soup was creamy but the squid was gummy. I understand you cannot expect good quality seafood in restaurants like this. I grew up drinking Milo. Was so excited they had it here. Their Milo chocolate was a disappointment. Furthermore, we also got empanadas. For some reasons, the shells were hot but the filling was a bit cold. The shells were missing the corn flavor. Overall, the empanadas were ok. If we ever came back here, we probably would get only the picada. read more

Muy buena comida y la atención excelente El sabor muy bien los precios accesibles un ambiente familiar read more

Delicious food and very nice atmosphere in restaurant. Their green sauce has a good kick but not too hot. Highly recommended read more

La Pollera Colombiana - Hostess stand - Colombian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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So far, both times I have eaten here have been wonderful. Great flavors and friendly service. So many carbs though! Fries AND rice on the same plate haha. Their fries are great though. read more

Food is EXCELLENT! Service is impeccable, wait staff super friendly. They have Christmas decorations up and the ambiance is fantastic. Great music playing as well. Highly recommend! read more

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This lovely Puerto Rican woman I met on Tinder brought me here to eat dinner. Omg was this food amazing. The meat and salsas were exquisite. And the service oh my. All the ladies are super nice and the vibe is very. Cool. I definitely recommend it here for Latin food read more

First time trying this place and it was a great experience! We got the To Go Combo - Amigo for $50! It came with a large side of rice and beans, 2L drink and tray of meat (steak, fried pork, pork, chicken, sausages, potatoes, corn cakes, plantains, and cassavas!) It tasted amazing and there was so much food! Definitely worth it and could feed 8-10 + people! Can't wait to try other dishes off their menu soon! :) read more

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Absolutely disgusting. Order was for takeaway. Ordered the 1/2 chicken. Tasted like it was boiled. Ordered the shrimp ceviche. I have no freaking idea what I got, but it wasn't ceviche. It was a tomato soup with shrimp of some sort. I'm Latina and a trained chef, I know what I should have been eating. Noticed after a few bites the shrimp hadn't been deveined and I had been eating shrimp poop. I hope I'm not in the ER tomorrow morning for stomach poisoning. The previous reviews weren't great but I thought I would give a new restaurant a try. read more

The chicken is roasted to perfection! The plantains are superb. The beef rib broth (only Saturdays?) Rich and flavorful. I needn't say more but I shall anyway. Because it's truly a lovely space, colorful and bright--great for a large family gathering or intimate date night. I also loved the chicharrones--crispy outside and moist inside--which are more like pork belly than chips. Knitting it all together is amazing service. The waitstaff share coverage of the tables so there's always a cheerful person to provide what you need. This is a truly FIVE STAR place. read more

Perfect perfect perfect. So yummy and clean. Great service. It got to the point where I was looking for something to fault and I couldn't find it. read more

They had a sign up that said "no cards." It probably had a few people walk away because of it and they did take cards. They are still waiting on an alcohol license. It's a relatively new restaurant and i'm almost apologizing for this review because I wanted so much to give it for five stars. Staff needs some training. They were very nice but not very attentive. For some reason I was extremely thirsty and I had to request water at the bar and they never came to refill it so I requested it again. We ordered a chicken dish to share, and it was excellent. It was also huge so I'm glad we decided to share and we still took some home. It was a piece of grilled chicken with mushrooms in a sauce. It came with fries and rice. We also shared ceviche. Before I wrote this review, I wanted to check if Colombian ceviche was different from Ceviches I'd had in other countries. Three large warm shrimp over the edge of a bowl with smaller shrimp in a bowl of thick red sauce. It was all warm. Nothing tasted like the lemon or lime, marinades customary for ceviche. It was surrounded by really good fried plantain, but I can honestly say I disliked the ceviche. We also ordered empanadas, which were very good. Extremely crispy and flavorful. This would definitely be a repeat. I think this restaurant has great possibilities. It would help if the music was less loud, an area without TVs visible , and the staff needs to check on the customers. The question is "would I return?" Yes, but I would be very cautious and what I ordered. We would definitely order chicken without a sauce. We would order empanadas. Everyone else seem to love this restaurant. I would like to as well. We need the variety. read more